Imitation-stitch machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. L. WHEELER.

IMITATION STITCH MACHINE. No. 325.297. Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

(No Model.)

2 Sheefs-Sheet 2. E. L. WHEELER.

IMITATION $TITCH MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

W IT N E 58 E s; A (Rankin 4r @446? E INV E N T HRH @NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR L. 'HEELER, OF MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

llVllTATlON-STITCH MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 325,297, dated September 1, 1885.

Application filed December 19, 1884. Renewed July 23, 1585. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR L. WHEELER, of Marlborough, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Imitation- Stitch Machines, which will, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, be hereinaftcr fully described, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

My invention relates to machines known as imitation-stitch machines, for impressing an ornamental border orfinish,in imitation of a line or lines of stitching or other design, upon the soles of boots and shoes, either upon the top of the projecting edge adjacent to the upper or upon the bottom of the sole near the edge; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of the divers devices embodied therein, as hereinafter more fully and particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention, shown as mounted upon a bench or table, and attached to a treadle secured to the floor in the usual manner. Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged view of a vertical section of the upper portion of the machine, taken on line 00 :10, Fig. 1; also a detached end elevation of a portion above said line, as viewed from the left of said figure. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the same line :10 at, as viewed from above the line. Fig. etis adetaclied top or plan view of the adjustable gageplate and its roll, against which the edge of the sole is pressed and guided when the machine is in operation.

The parts marked A represent the body or frame of the machine, and B represents a bench or table, Fig. 1, upon which the machine is mounted in the usual manner, and secured thereto by bolts, as shown.

Upon the extended top or horizontal arm of frame A is mounted a shaft, 0. This shaft is journaled in a box or sleeve, D, which'is pivotally secured between cars E E, Fig. 3, so as to rock on the inner ends of the pivotal screws F F,which are threaded into said ears, and enter the sides of said sleeve, as shown. The other end of shaft 0 is journalcd in abox, G, which is fitted to move vertically in the head between the uprights H H, which are surmounted. by a cap, I. Immediately heneath said cap is an independent plate, J, which also has a vertical movement between said uprights, being supported upon the springs K K, and serving to depress the same when acted upon by the depressing-screw,said springs resting with their lower ends upon box G.

Through cap I there is threaded a depress jug-screw, L, to the upper end of which is attached a crank, M, by the turning of which the lower end of screw L is forced down upon plate J, thereby compressing springs K between said plate and box G, thus producing a yielding pressure upon said box of any de' sired degree of force.

Upon the end of shaft 0, adjacent to box G, is secured the impression-wheel N, the periphery of which is formed and designed to produce the desired impression upon the sole of the boot or shoe. To the opposite end of shaft 0 is adjustably secured a crank, O, by which the operator turns the shaft and wheel. The shaft is capable of lineal adjustment by means of a collar, P, and the hub Q of crank O,both of which are secured to the shaft by set-screws. By withdrawing the set-screws the shaft may be moved endwise in its boxes to adjust the position of the impressionwheel relative to the sole-edge as desired, and when so adj usted may be secured in the required position against lineal displacement by slipping said collar and hub upon the shaft into contact with the ends of sleeve D, and securing them in such positions by tightening them on the shaft by means of their respective setscrews.

To the under side of box G is adj ustablysecured a plate, R, Fig. 4:, by screws passing through slots in said plate into said bogr, as shown. This plate supports a gage-roll, S, which is fitted to revolve horizontally on said plate, being j ournaled therein, as shown, Fig. 2. The outer edge of the sole is pressed and guided against this roll. as a gage to secure uniformity in the distance from such edge to the line of ornamentation while the impression is being made upon the surface of the sole, which is at right angles thereto.

A slot, T, is made through the body of frame A, in which is pivoted a lever, U, and said frame has an opening from the top downward into said slot, in which opening is placed a vertical lifting-rod, V, the lower end of which.

rests upon lever U, while the upper end is arranged to act against the under side of plate R, which is secured to box G. lhe outer end of lever U is conhected by a rod, W, to a treadle, X, which is secured to the floor, Fig. 1. By depressing the free end of treadleXthe lever U is rocked on its fulcrum or pivot supported in the sides of slot T, and the liftingrod V is thereby raised, together with box G and shaft 0, against the pressure of springs K, thus raising the impression-wheel N sufficiently to enable the operator to properly and readil y place the Work in position under the same, and to freely remove it when the operation thereon is completed. i.

The shoe, when operated upon, is placed upon a horn, Y, which is formed hollow and adapted to the purpose of receiving and supporting a boot or shoe, as required, and is pivotally mounted in the brackets Z Z, Fig. 1. In the upper and diminished end of this horn is fitted a small wheel, a, arranged to rotatein a horizontal plane to facilitate feeding the work forward while supported thereon under the pressure and operation of the impressionwheel. As the way employed in stitching the soles is more or less distributed along the line of stitching upon the inner surface of the shoesole, which rests upon the horn when my machine is being used, and when cold is sticky and obstructs the movement of the shoe on the end of the horn, I employ a heating device consisting of a lamp, 1), secured to the horn, as shown, so that the flame and heat thereof will pass into the hollow of the tube, and thereby heat the wheel a sufficiently to soften and smooth the wax which it comes in contact with,

and thereby greatly facilitate the progressive movement of the work over and upon the horn.

WVhen operating upon the bottom of a sole to form the imitation stitch or line of ornamental impressions, the horn is placed within the shoe, with the shank portion resting upon wheel a, and the horn and toe of the shoe thus mounted thereon pointing toward the operator, the impression-wheel being properly adjusted to make its impression at such distance from the edge of the sole as desired by means of the lineal adjustment of shaft 0, as already explained, the requisite degree of pressure being adjusted by means of screw L, and gageroll S being also adjusted to bear properly against the outer or vertical edge of the sole according to the distance therefrom which it is desired to make the line of impressions. Then by turning crank O the shoe is thereby moved along upon the horn, being pinched between the rim of the impressionwheel and the surface of the horn wheel with sufficient force to make the desired impression, and to carry the shoe along until the toe portion is brought under the impressionwheel, when the operator, while continuing the motion of the driving-crank, turns the horn horizontally, as required to bring the circular toe portion properly under the impression-wheel, which part being passed the shoe moves forward again over the horn, the toe portion traveling from the operator until the shank is reached again upon the opposite side from that on which. the operation commenced, thus completing a single line of imitation. stitch or ornamental impression from one edge of the shank around the fore part and back to the opposite edge of the shank. If more than one line of such impressions is desired, a proper adjustment of the impression-wheel and gage-roll may be made, as explained, and another line produced in the same manner.

If it is desired to make the impression upon the upper surface of the projecting sole-edge adjacent to the shoe-upper, it is only necessary to place that'surface under the impression-wheel, with the bottom of the sole resting upon the horn and the vertical edge bearing against the properly-adjusted gageroll, and then to turn the drivingcrank as before, while steadying and guiding the shoe with the left hand.

I am aware that impression-wheels have been heretofore employed for a like purpose, attached to a shaft rigidly journaled in a frame, and employed, in connection with a supporting-wheel arranged beneath the impressionwheel, to revolve ona horizontal axis, and to be held up against said wheel by force exerted by the operator upon a treadle attachment; but I am not aware that such impres sion-wheel has been employed in combination with a supporting-horn, and under the advantageous construction, combination, and

arrangement of devices embodied in my in;

vention herein described.

I claim 1. In combination, the pivoted horn Y, constructed and arranged to receive, support, and turn with the shoe while under the operation of the impression-wheel, the impression-wheel mounted upon the horizontal shaft 0, and provided with means for rotating the same,mechanism, substantially as described, adapted to produce the requisite degree of pressure of the wheel upon the shoe-sole while supported upon the horn, and to relieve the same at will, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination, the pivoted horn Y, the impression-wheel N, journaled in the rocking box D, and the sliding box G, with provision for lineal adjustment, and for rotating the same, and a pressure mechanism consisting of springs K, plate J, cap I, and screw L, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In combination, the pivoted horn Y, provided with wheel a, impression-wheel N, mounted on a lineally-adjustable shaft 0, and an adjustable gage, R, provided with roll S, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In combination, the pivoted supportinghorn Y, the impression-wheel N, mounted on,

IIO

shaft 0, journaled as described, a yielding a hollow horn, Y, pivoted to operate as de pressure mechanism, substantially as described, and arranged to support the work scribed, for forcing the impression Wheel under theimpression-wheel, awheel, a,niountdown upon the Work, a gaging device, and a ed in the upper end of said horn, and a heat- 15 5 treadle mechanism, substantially as described, ing device arranged to heat the horn, all subfor counteracting the pressure and relieving stantially as and for the purposes specified. the Work therefrom at will all substantially as specified. EDGAR L. "WHEELER.

5. In combination with an impression-wheel \Viinesses: 10 and pressure devices, constructed and arranged EUGENE HUMPI-IREY,

to operate together substantially as described, '1. XV. PORTER. 

